Pac-10- USC

Matt Barkley, QB, Fr- Barkley has an extremely bright future. I watched a lot of USC games this year so I got to see the ups and downs Barkley went through as the season progressed. First things first, he is definitely a future upper echelon QB. He has good enough arm strength already as a true Freshman, and he makes some unreal throws in some very difficult situations. His touch and progression reads definitely need some work though. He can have the tendency to make some easy throws more difficult to catch than they should be. He was also a bit late with his reads and getting the ball out. These are small mistakes though and are forgivable for a true Freshman starting in a top level college football program. Barkley has so many positives though, and I think he has the abilities to be the best USC QB since Carson Palmer, if not better if he can continue to progress.

Charles Brown, LT, Sr- I’m completely sold on Brown as a bona fide first round left tackle. He has great feet, is a dominant pass blocker, does an amazing job of pulling hard and making blocks on the moving target at the second level, and he does a good job of getting movement in the run game as well (despite being more of a finesse blocker). I think he should go in the top 20, and may go even higher when it’s all said and done. Don’t be surprised to see him go as high as #14 to the Seahawks, considering the ties to Pete Carroll, and the fact that Brown would be an excellent fit in Alex Gibbs zone blocking front. I personally like him better than Davis or Campbell.

Jeff Byers, OG, Sr- Byers has received a lot more hype over his time at USC than is deserved. He did grow on me the more I saw of him, but he simply lacking in some areas that a player of his experience level should not be. He gets driven back in the run game because he’s undersized, and he can get beat by the speed rush at times as well. What he does do well is pull, and he can find the man on the second level and make a block. I think he’s draftable, but he’s a late rounder.

Kristofer O’Dowd, Jr, OC- O’Dowd is a solid two way blocker, and he does a really good job of getting to the second level and making the block. He also makes all of theline calls, so he’s smart and can handle the pressure of this at the next level. I think he’ll be the top center prospect coming back next year, and he will even get some talk about being a first round pick.

Alex Parsons, RG, Sr- Parsons is a pile mover in the run game even though he is not a big guy. He really gets pop off the line and can eliminate run defenders. Parsons is not a fantastic pass blocker though, but he’s good enough. His problems in the pass game stem from not sinking his hips when getting pushed back, which is strange considering he is so strong in the run game. I would draft him in the 4th or 5th and be very happy with him. Seeing as he’s a guard, I could see him going even lower and will be an excellent value there.

Tyron Smith, RT, So- Smith needs time but could be very good eventually. Right now he has technique of a player who is just starting to get playing time.

Stafon Johnson, RB, Sr- The fact that Johnson is actually playing still after the horrific weight lifting accident he was in earlier in the year earns him a shot. No one will EVER question his toughness after this. As for Johnson as a back, he churns his legs well and gets tough yards. He’s not explosive in the hole, but is more of a big back that picks up speed as he runs. If he can get through the hole, he can break tackles and has good long speed once he gets up to the top level. Teams may shy away because he was never a top flight prospect before the injury, but someone will take him late because of his toughness and never give up mentality.

Joe McKnight, RB, Jr- McKnight is a Reggie Bush clone except not quite as good. He has all of the tendencies that annoy me about Bush. He takes everything outside and is always looking for the sideline. He’s allergic to contact. McKnight is a good pass catcher though, and if you get him in space, he hits home runs. To me, McKnight is a good talent, just not a true football player. If he goes anywhere higher than the third, it’s a bad move.

Damian Williams, WR, Jr- Williams is a very good route runner can get off the jam and runs the quick slant better than any college WR I have seen in some time. Good leaper with great hands, but he should not go high, and if he does, he may struggle like some of the other high profile receivers from USC. You don’t see his speed as much which is impressive in a WR as he gets in and out of breaks so quickly that it’s tough for DBs to break on his routes. If you smack him in the mouth, he will start to shut down, as he lacks the toughness I want to see out of high profile WRs. What pushes him down is my fear that he won’t be able to consistently beat that jam due to his finesse style of play. If he can, he should make a great slot receiver and will be key on 3rd downs. If he can run that quick slant in the pros as well as he did in college, it’s an automatic first down.

Anthony McCoy, TE, Sr- McCoy has really impressed me as the season has worn on. Not only is he a threat in the passing game, but he is a top level blocking TE. He is one of the best blocking TE’s I have seen and he’s not the biggest guy either. He’s incredibly well rounded. McCoy is going to be a steal no matter where he goes as he can contribute in more ways than most the recent breed of TEs.

Stanley Havili, FB, rs Sr- I’ve always loved Havili. He’s definitely not a true fullback, as he’s not a good run blocker. He’s a good short yardage back and he has excellent hands in the pass game. He’s one of the better receiving fullbacks I have seen in college football, and he’s shown that year after year. Havili is not a battering ram, but a versatile back I want on my team. He will be a safety valve for Barkley, and he should continue to improve next year. If he can keep working on his run blocking, he may go as high as the second round next year.

David Ausberry, WR, Sr- I think Ausberry may end up doing better as a pro because he does not get thrown to much in this offense. He’s much more physical than Williams but not as naturally talented. Not as quick either, but shields the defender off well, and fights for yardage. Ausberry is a tough kid and you can get him for a late round pick so he’s a nice value as well.

Ronald Johnson, WR, Jr- Johnson is the game breaking type with great acceleration and quickness. He’s different that the typical USC receiver as of late. He can be moved around a lot to expose the weakness in a zone defense, and has the speed and moves to make things happen in space. He should shine next year. Big play ability, can beat you deep, and he can beat you on short throws for long gains.

Everson Griffen, DE/OLB, Jr- I really like Griffen, as I saw noticeable improvements in his game from the beginning of the season until the end. He’s an incredible athlete; big enough to stuff the run as a down end and agile enough to play on his feet in space in pass coverage. His instincts and technique aren’t very consistent, but those will come with more experience. I saw him play enough time standing up that I think he’d make a fine 3-4 OLB, but he’s still growing, so I would rather see him as a top shelf down DE. The two most impressive parts were his first step off the snap, and his relentlessness when chasing the play on the backside. I think he will make a steal in the mid to late first round, and he will be better than media darling Jason Pierre-Paul.

Taylor Mays, FS, Sr- The more I’ve watched of Mays the less I’ve liked. He’s an athlete, not a football player, at this point in his career. He is incredibly fast, hits like a truck, is huge for a DB, and it all stops there. He does not wrap up in tackles, he seems to think too much and ends up not making plays he easily could with his athleticism, and his instincts just seem to be lacking. He does not have the technique of a senior, and I would be very weary of having him as my last line of defense. To be honest, he may be better fit as a SS or a LB in the pros as he won’t have to worry about the instincts part of the game. He will no doubt get massively over drafted due to his combine numbers, but I won’t budge from the thought that he is at best a late first rounder. Some points may be improved with good coaching, but I think some of this is just who he is and he should be played to is strengths in the right defense.

Chris Gallippo, MLB, Jr- I really like Gallippo. He’s a bit undersized and isn’t the best athlete on the field, but he’s a great football player. Gallippo has good instincts, reads his keys so quickly, gets in good position, fights his way through traffic, and makes plays in the backfield. He’s a step slow, but he makes up for it with instincts. He may be a bit of a liability in the pass game, but he can be covered up in the pros. I really like his potential, and with some time in the weight room, he can really push his stock up over the next year.

Malcolm Smith, OLB, Jr- Smith is a bit undersized, but has good speed and can cut off the outside well. He’s decent in pass coverage as well. With some more playing time I could see him developing into a quality prospect.

Kevin Thomas, CB, Sr- Thomas is soft in run support, but looks to have good catch up speed. He showed enough that I would say he’s draftable, but late.

Will Harris, SS, Sr- Harris really attacked the line in the run game, and made some impact plays in the pass game as well. He disappears for spells though, which is a concern. He is a good fit at the position at the next level and should be a good value in the mid rounds.

Josh Pinkard, CB, Sr- Pinkard is strong against the run and decent enough in the pass game. He can definitely be a solid cover-2 corner with his size and physical play.